It became clear that the Las Vegas Raiders' roster was much improved when they announced the first iteration of their 53-man team. And while the starting units have been bolstered pretty much across the board, depth at a few positions still remains a bit shaky, particularly at linebacker.
Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker is a tremendous starting tandem, but the two have missed 21 and 10 games in their last three seasons, respectively, so the plan behind them needs to be airtight. And at this juncture, it just isn't, and that could be cause for concern down the line.
Cody Lindenberg had a strong offseason in totality, even if the preseason finale was rough, but both Tommy Eichenberg and Segun Olubi had more than their share of struggles throughout the spring and summer. If the team has to rely on either one defensively this year, it seems like it could get ugly.
Raiders' linebacker depth may be shakier than the front office realizes
At most positions on most teams in the NFL, if a starter goes down, there is a fall-off with the second-stringer. That's just the reality, as players are typically slotted in on the depth correctly. But better backup plans need to exist when the pair of starters at a spot have nefarious injury histories.
When John Spytek and Co. brought Dean and Walker into the building, they knew about their pasts, and they knew that there was a very real world where both were out for a contest. And despite having the whole offseason to come up with a contingency plan, it appears that they failed to do so.
Again, Lindenberg had a strong camp and started off the exhibition slate like gangbusters, but his play dwindled in each of the next two games. Eichenberg and Olubi, however, struggled throughout the preseason. The latter was even initially released before being re-signed a day or so later.
While Dean and Walker are two of the best players on this roster, Eichenberg and Olubi are near the bottom, and Lindenberg isn't too far ahead of them. If Dean and Walker stay healthy, this will be no big deal, and this group of three should thrive on special teams; they certainly have that going for them.
But if any of them needs to step in and play a major role on a Raiders defense that doesn't have a particularly strong defensive interior to play behind, then Las Vegas may be in a bit of trouble. I certainly hope that I'm wrong and that the preseason was a liar, as Rob Leonard didn't show his stuff.
If he did, though, and that is the level of play that fans can expect, then the team is playing with fire at linebacker by overlooking their depth.
Is there an external option worth adding for the Raiders at linebacker?
As is typical at this point in the calendar, the veteran market is quite picked through. The best available option is Bobby Wagner, but the legendary linebacker wouldn't come to Las Vegas for a backup role. He's a guy to keep in the back pocket, though, if a serious injury happens.
Kenneth Murray and a familiar face in Elandon Roberts are probably the two best depth pieces, and neither of those seem like must-signs at this juncture. So, the Raiders may need to get crafty if they want to improve their linebacker depth and scan for hidden gems or look on other practice squads.
Across the division, Denver Broncos rookie seventh-rounder Red Murdock made his way back to their practice squad, and between his strong play in college and a solid preseason, he may be worth a swing at the spot. His fellow rookie Taurean York, who wasn't re-signed in Denver, is also an option.
Junior Colson, a third-rounder by the Los Angeles Chargers in 2024, hasn't particularly impressed during his career thus far, but he took a major step this preseason and is sitting on their practice squad, available for the taking. That's another option to consider.
Down in Dallas, Justin Barron also had a strong training camp for the Cowboys and started the preseason well before a bad final showing sunk his roster chances. But he can cover fairly well and make plays against the run, so he could be poached from their practice squad as well.
Look, the external options aren't great at this point, and hopefully, this is an issue that never comes up. Maybe both starters make it through the regular season unscathed for the first time since their rookie seasons. But if they don't, Spytek may kick himself for not doing more behind them.
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